Voting-machine.



No. 694,830. Patented Mar. 4, I902. S. D. CARPENTER, E. R. STEVENS &. C. K. TENNEY.

VOTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1901.; (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet I.

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N0. 694,830. Patented Mar. 4, I902. S. D. CARPENTER, E. R. STEVENS &. C. K. TENNEY. VOTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1901. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN D. CARPENTER, EDMUND RAY STEVENS, AND CHARLES K. TENNEY, OE MADISON, WISCONSIN.

VUTiNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,830, dated March 1, 1902. Application filed November 15, 1901. Serial No. 82, 116. (No moclehl To all 1071,0772, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, STEPHEN D. CARPEN- TER, EDMUND RAY STEVENS, and CHARLES K. TENNEY. citizens of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to voting-machines; and the object of the same is to construct a device to be placed in a voting-booth which will enable a man to cast his vote for the candidates he desires and at the same time register his vote, so that at the close of the polls the number of votes cast for each candidate can be immediately read off.

The novel construction used by us in carrying out our invention is fully described and claimed in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which Figurel is a plan view of the lay-out. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail of one of the filing-pins. Fig. 1 is a detail of one of the billets.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts in the dili'erent views of the drawings.

The numeral 1 designates a ballot, such as used in voting under the Australian ballot system. This ballot 1 is laid spread out in a base or supportB, consisting ofa horizontallyplaced board supported by suitable means (not shown) to form a shelf or table.

As shown in the drawings, the ballot is divided into parallel vertical columns 2 by double-ruled lines 3. The columns 2 are divided by horizontally-extending double lines 4 into a number of large rectangular blocks 5, which are again divided into a number of smaller rectangular blocks 7 by heavy lines 6, cutting the six columns 2 on the right, but leaving the column 2 on the left untraversed. The column 2 is reserved for subheadings, while the six columns to the right are each headed by the name of one of the political parties having candidates in the field. The first space 7 at the top contains the name of the party-J01 example, Democrat, Republican, &c. The names of the candidates of each party appear in the corresponding columns. The snbheadingsin columns 2 show what oiiices the different men are candidates for. To the left of each of the names is placed a number which corresponds to a tile-pin in the corresponding column of a magazine to be described. To the right of each name on the ballot 1 is a space to accommodate the billets taken from the magazine The magazine A comprises a tablet 9, traversed by vertical and horizontal double lines numbered 10 and 11', respectively, and single horizontal lines 12. These lines 10, 11, and 12 divide the tablet 9 into seven columns 13 and rectangles 14., corresponding to the columns 2 and rectangles '7, respectively, on the ballot 1.

The spaces 11 are numbered to correspond to the names of the candidates in the column 2 standing immediately below on the ballot 1. The columns 13 are headed the same as the columns 2. Spaces 14: for straight and partially-straight voting are also provided.

Mounted in each of the rectangles 1st is a tiling-pin 15, having an arm 15" thereon and a shank 15 flattened out at 15 to adapt it to be driven into the tablet 9. The pins 15 are each designed to carrya set of billets consisting of a square piece of paper 16, perforated near the center at 16, gummed on the back and bearing a numeral. The numerals start with l and run up to a numberin excess of the number of voters allowed for each booth or the voting strength of each party. The top billet is numbered 1, the next beneath 2, and so on to the bottom of the pile. In Fig. 2 are shown two pins full of billets.

The tablet 9 is fastened at the bottom by hinges 17 to the base B, and a prop 1S, hinged to the back and engaging a ratchet 19, mounted on the base, serves to adjust the angle of the magazine and to set it to correspond to the different heights of the voters.

The manner of using our device in voting can now be set forth. 1f the Australian ballotsystem is used, one of ourlay-outs isset up in each voting-booth. A voter after passing the election officials, who ascertain whether he has been properlyregistered and give him a ballot, goes into a booth equipped, as stated. He would spread out his ticket in the position 1. If he wishes to vote the straight Re publican ticket, he would take billet 1 from the file-pin 16, opposite Straight at the head of the column headed Republican, moisten the billet, and stick it in the corresponding space on his ballot 1. In case he did not wish to vote straight, but wished to pick his men, he would first ascertain the position of the eandidate'of his choice in the scheme on his ballot, and then take a billet from the corresponding file-pin 16 and stick it opposite-that is, after the mans name. The next man voting for the same man as the first would take billet No. 2 from'the same file-pin and paste it on his ticket after the same mans name.

When the voting has been completed and the polls closed, the numbers showing on the top of the files on the magazine 9, less one, plus the straight vote of the corresponding column, would designate the number of votes cast for each candidate.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that our device provides a simple voting scheme which will'accurately register every vote cast.

We do not wish to be limited as to details of construction, as these may be modified in many particulars without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a voting device, a hinged tablet pro vided with means for angular adjustment, said tablet being ruled to correspond with the oflicial ballot, filing-pins mounted on said tablet, there being a pin corresponding to each and every name on the official ballot, and a series of consecutively-numbered removable billets mounted on each of said filing-pins, substantially as described.

2. In a voting device, atablet ruled to correspond with the official ballot used at the election and containing the names of the candidates, filing-pins mounted on said tablet,

there being a pin corresponding to each name In testimony whereof we havehereunto set' our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STEPHEN D. CARPENTER. E. RAY STEVENS. CHARLES K. TENNEY.

Witnesses: t

JOHN OLLIS, CAROLINE B. GREIG. 

